Automobiles! We can’t get along without them, but wow do they take a big chunk out of our budget. With the busy society we live in today it is almost necessary that every eligible driver in the household have a car. It is especially, difficult in larger cities for a parent to leave their job and run home to pick up the children and take them to all of their activities. When young drivers are added to the policy the annual premium can really increase because of the statement above. Many people consider auto insurance a commodity and buy the cheapest policy possible. Also because buying auto insurance, and paying for it, is not fun at all many people will hurry through the process at their own peril.
Some of the mistakes made in buying auto insurance are:
- Looking for the cheapest policy without consideration of what coverages and limits are included. Many people just get a stripped down policy at minimum limits to be able to get the insurance card. In today’s society a minimum limits policy really doesn’t offer much protection in the event your accident causes serious injuries to a number of people. In addition there are a considerable number of vehicles on the streets that have a value which exceeds the property damage minimum limit.
- There is also a big mistake made by many people by not including personal injury protection and underinsured/uninsured motorist coverage. Based on the state of health insurance today most individuals and families have very large deductibles. If you were in an accident it would be nice to be able to use the benefits of personal injury and uninsured motorist coverage to overcome the large out of pocket expense due to your health insurance deductible. There is another statistic which shows that almost one in four vehicles on the street today have NO insurance. If you get hit by an uninsured driver it will be up to you to take care of your own medical expenses that could be substantial and you will have to repair or replace your vehicle out of your pocket.
- Another trap is for the policy holder agreeing to exclude a poor driver or a young driver to save money. It is very difficult to keep a licensed driver out of family vehicles.
- A quick purchase of an auto policy may result in you not getting added discounts many companies offer by putting both home and auto policies with the same company.
A quick purchase of a policy for one of the big companies that spend millions advertising and where in only a 7 or 15 minute telephone call can result in a policy. To properly review your coverage options and explore everything involved just can’t be done in that short telephone call. You need a local agent who can get to know you and one that you can get to know as well as his staff. A good agent can help you save money but also, receive value for your purchases. Contact your local independent agent for a comprehensive auto insurance quote.